Spittle-flecked citizens who refuse to watch the right TeeVee channels?

No.

Instead, their alleged combatant, whom they had to defeat at all costs lest the public start, you know, looking into other matters 'conflicty' when it comes to cozy media/pol relationships in this province, was none other than....

CBC Journalistic Standards and Practices note: “The trust of the public is our most valued asset. We avoid putting ourselves in real or potential conflict of interest. This is essential to our credibility.”

There is an extensive policy on the issue of conflict of interest, both in the journalistic standards and at a corporate level.

The journalistic policy states: “The credibility of CBC News and current affairs rests on the reputation of its journalists who are, and are seen to be, independent and impartial.”

It discusses the relationship between reporters and family members. “If a current affairs or news employee has a close relative, defined as spouse, parent, child or sibling who is a major actor in a story, that employee cannot be involved in the coverage.”

4 comments:

To multiple tweet in support of a blatant conflict really shows how pathetic he has become. Our esteemed deans of the MSM have really outdone themselves on this one.

Television's Baldry, newspapers's Palmer and radio's Good have never been more out to lunch than in their take on this conflict call. It is obvious to everyone (even my sister's border collie).

An even greater conflict is the ongoing misrepresentation spun off by these three. If they were once honest hard working reporters, then they must surely know what they are doing now is shamefull. How can they look themselves in the mirror and sleep at night.

A disappointing response from the CBC news management and the B.C. media to the ombudsman's report.There could be a discussion about the issues, the "protocols" to avoid conflicts of interest and the limits between pubic and private life.Instead, CBC News just dismisses the report without any effective argument and the media, as far as I can tell from far away, has taken the position that Stephen Smart is a good guy and a good journalist so everything is OK.The issue isn't Smart's competence or nice-guy status. It's whether CBC coverage is potentially compromised in the eyes of reasonable person because he is reporting on a government in which his wife has a senior political position.The issue is also not whether Smart's reporting has been affected. It's whether the public could reasonably perceive that it could be affected.At the very least, there should have been a serious discussion of that, not dismissal of the issue.Interesting to contrast the Canadian Press handling of the situation when editor Wendy Cox was married to then finance minister Gary Collins. Cox, as I understand it, played no role in assigning or editing stories to do with the provincial government. That was a hassle for the bureau, but deemed necessary to avoid any appearance of conflict.